Automatic soft key adaptation with left-right hand edge sensing

• US 8,497,847 B2
• Filed: 11/19/2012
• Issued: 07/30/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Brisebois, Arthur Richard, Klein, Robert Steven
• Primary Examiner(s): Eisen, Alexander
• Assistant Examiner(s): MARINELLI, PATRICK
• Application Number:
  US13/680,214
• Publication Number:
  US 20130076639A1
• Time in Patent Office: 253 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-184, 345/104, 178 1801- 2004, 715/863
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0339 Touch strips, e.g. orthogonal touch strips to control cursor movement or scrolling; single touch strip to adjust parameter or to implement a row of soft keys
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/021 Arrangements integrating additional peripherals in a keyboard, e.g. card or barcode reader, optical scanner
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0447 Position sensing using the local deformation of sensor cells
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

Input/output operation of an electronic device is adapted for left-handed and/or right-handed scenarios. As described herein, sensors (e.g., capacitive, resistive, touch-sensitive, etc.) are applied to respective outer edges of a device to determine whether a device is in a user'"'"'s left hand and/or right hand. Based on this determination, respective points along the sensors can be mapped to soft keys to automatically optimize input for left-handed and/or right-handed operation. As further described herein, points of contact with an input device such as a touch-screen can be corrected based on whether a user'"'"'s left hand and/or right hand is holding an associated electronic device. For example, upon identifying contact between a touch-screen and a thumb of a hand being used to hold an associated device, the point of contact can be shifted to compensate for the angle of the thumb with respect to the touch-screen.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a plurality of sensors located at exterior surfaces of an electronic device that receive location information relating to locations of portions of a hand of a user relative to the exterior surfaces;

a memory to store instructions and the location information;

a processor, communicatively coupled to the memory and sensor, that facilitates execution of the instructions to perform operations, comprising;

determining, based on the location information, that the hand is being used to hold the electronic device,

determining whether a position of contact with a touch screen of the electronic device has been made by a thumb of the hand determined to be holding the electronic device, and

in response to a determination that the position of contact has been made by the thumb of the hand determined to be holding the electronic device,

determining an angle of the thumb with respect to the touch screen based upon a deviation determined for a shape of the position of contact from a circular shape, and

determining a correction factor for the position of contact based on the angle.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise determining a physical disability of the user based on the location information and adjusting a mapping of a soft key to an adjusted position that accommodates the physical disability.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise adjusting a mapping of a soft key to an adjusted position based on the location information selected to urge the hand of the user holding the electronic device to an unnatural holding position when engaging the soft key.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the correction factor represents an adjustment to the position of contact relative to a soft key mapped to the touch screen.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

identifying another position of contact with the touch screen;

determining whether the other position of contact has been made by another thumb of another hand determined to be holding the electronic device concurrently with the hand; and

in response to determining that the other position of contact has been made by the other thumb of the other hand determined to be holding the electronic device concurrently with the hand,

dividing the touch screen into a plurality of zones, and

associating the correction factor with a first zone of the plurality of zones, and associate another correction factor with a second zone of the plurality of zones.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the correction factor represents a shift in location of display of at least one item on the touch screen to a location wherein the at least one item is substantially unobstructed from display by the thumb.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise mapping a sliding soft key to a portion of the sensor at an edge of the electronic device at which the thumb of the user is determined to be located and mapping a tapping soft key to a portion of another sensor at an edge of the electronic device at which a finger of the user is determined to be located opposite to the edge of the electronic device at which the thumb of the user is determined to be located.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the electronic device is a mobile telephone handset.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the electronic device is a handheld electronic game system.

10. A method, comprising:

determining, by a system comprising a processor, contacts are present between sensors affixed to outer surfaces of a handheld device and portions of a hand of a user;

determining, by the system, that the hand is being used to hold the handheld device based on the contacts;

determining, by the system, a position of contact with a touch screen of the handheld device;

determining, by the system, whether the position of contact has been made by a thumb of the hand determined to be holding the handheld device; and

in response to determining that the position of contact has been made by the thumb of the hand determined to be holding the electronic device,

determining, by the system, an angle of the thumb with respect to the touch screen based upon a deviation of a shape of the position of contact from a circular shape, and

determining, by the system, a correction factor for the position of contact based on the angle.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

inferring, by the system, a physical disability of the user based on the contacts; and

adjusting, by the system, a mapping of a soft key to an adjusted position that accommodates the inferred physical disability.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the correction factor represents an adjustment to the position of contact relative to a soft key mapped to the touch screen.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

determining, by the system, another position of contact with the touch screen;

determining, by the system, whether the other position of contact has been made by another thumb of another hand determined to be holding the handheld device concurrently with the hand; and

in response to determining that the other position of contact has been made by the other thumb of the other hand determined to be holding the electronic device concurrently with the hand,

determining, by the system, another correction factor for the other position of contact,

dividing, by the system, the touch screen into a plurality of zones,

associating, by the system, the correction factor with a first zone of the plurality of zones, and

associating, by the system, the other correction factor with a second zone of the plurality of zones.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the correction factor represents a shift in location of display of an item on the touch screen to a location where the item is not obstructed from display by the thumb.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

adjusting, by the system, a mapping of a soft key to an adjusted position based on the contacts, wherein the adjusted position is selected to move the hand of the user holding the handheld device to a substantially different holding position than a current holding position when engaging the soft key.

16. A tangible computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution, cause a handheld device comprising a processor to perform operations, comprising:

obtaining location information relating to locations of portions of a hand of a user on an exterior surface of the handheld device;

determining that the hand is being used to hold the handheld device based on the location information;

identifying a point of contact with a touch screen of the handheld device;

determining whether the point of contact has been made by a thumb of the hand determined to be holding the handheld device; and

in response to determining that the point of contact has been made by the thumb of the hand determined to be holding the electronic device,

determining an angle of the thumb with respect to the touch screen based upon a deviation determined for a shape of the position of contact from a circular shape, and

initiating a correction for the position of contact based on the angle.

17. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining a physical disability of the user based on the point of contact; and

adjusting a mapping of a soft key to an adjusted position that accommodates the physical disability.

18. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the correction is an adjustment to the position of contact relative to a soft key mapped to the touch screen.

19. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise:

identifying another position of contact with the touch screen;

determining whether the other position of contact has been made by another thumb of another hand determined to be holding the handheld device concurrently with the hand; and

in response to determining that the other position of contact has been made by the other thumb of the other hand determined to be holding the electronic device concurrently with the hand,

initiating, another correction for the other position of contact;

dividing the touch screen into a plurality of zones;

associating the correction factor with a first zone of the plurality of zones; and

associating the other correction factor with a second zone of the plurality of zones.

20. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise:

adjusting a mapping of a soft key to an adjusted position based on the point of contact, wherein the adjusted position is selected to move the hand of the user holding the handheld device into a substantially different holding position than a current holding position when engaging the soft key.